The cost of tuition at public 4-year post-secondary institutions increased by an average of 9.24% from 2010 to 2022 according to education data, so helping high school students and parents understand and navigate financial aid options is essential for many seniors.
Even if students absolutely know their parents’ income disqualifies them for federal financial aid, Parsons High School encourages all seniors interested in college, trade school or even approved certificate programs, to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Some institutions require it to qualify for other scholarships.
Out of the seven Southeast Kansas school districts, Parsons is the highest in economically disadvantaged students, at 77.5% of its student population, so it is likely many students making application will qualify for Pell grants. The only way students will know what financial assistance they are eligible for to help cover tuition costs, is to apply and find out.
On Wednesday, PHS Academic Advisor Kylie Lucas was joined by Labette Community College financial aid personnel to help students and parents with any questions regarding filling out the FAFSA forms.
“The FAFSA is free to submit but can be daunting. We want our students at PHS to know they are supported. Hosting the FAFSA Completion Event is one way we are trying to show that support,” Lucas said.
LCC Director of Financial Aide Megan Fugate said the FAFSA has been totally revamped so this year they are learning the changes as they assist students and parents in working through the process.
Some of the changes this year allow students to and parents to each fill out a portions of the forms separately, online, with all the merged information stored. Fugate said the new FAFSA is also designed to pull parents’ tax forms directly from the IRS, providing parents ease of access to that information.
Lucas said 45 students made application Wednesday. It is unknown how many will qualify for financial aid.
Parsons schools promote students reaching for their dreams and encouraging students to apply for financial aid to achieve post-secondary education and success into the future is one of those ways
Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is important for college-bound students because it gives students access to the largest source of financial aid to help pay for education beyond a high school diploma.
There are four types of aid available: work-study, Pell grant, scholarships, and loans.
“If a student is ‘on the fence’ about attending college, knowing what type of financial assistance is available to help offset the expense of attending can be the deciding factor between choosing to attend college or not. There were major updates to the FAFSA this year, subsequently pushing its availability back from Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, but many institutions did not change their priority deadline from its usual Feb. 1 date. My advice would be for them to get the FAFSA done sooner rather than later to ensure they are confidently moving forward,” Lucas said. “Even if families know they will not qualify for a Pell Grant, many institutions require students to have a FAFSA submitted to qualify for institutional scholarships. If anyone would like assistance completing the FAFSA, I am still happy to help. I can be reached via email at kylielucas@vikingnet.net to schedule an appointment during office hours.”